This is how you use the famous 'manettino' on a Ferrari

Ferraris are all about racing. Literally. The entire DNA of the brand — according to some, the most influential in the world (sorry, Apple) — derives from the track. Enzo Ferrari founded the Scuderia Ferrari to build race cars. Only later did he decide to create road cars — to fund the racing operation!

As a result, Ferraris, luxurious though they may be, are full of features that are drawn from the field of high-speed competition, especially Formula One.

A great example is the steering wheel. A Ferrari owner may be swaddled in exquisite leather, but his or her hands grip a steering wheel that’s designed to encourage focus on what truly matters in a Ferrari — driving!

Take the “manettino.” Translated from Italian, it means “little switch” or “little lever,” and that looks like what it is. But it reality, it enables the driver to control driving modes without the hands being forced to stray too far from the wheel.

The famous Ferrari manettino, set to “Sport” mode, on the wheel of a Ferrari FF that I tested.

“Comfort” mode makes the Ferrari FF a bit more compliant, for freeway cruising or less-demanding driving.

The Ferrari FF is an all-wheel-drive car, so there are two bad-weather options: “wet” and “snow.”

Be careful about toggling all the way to the right — that’s the “ESC Off” mode, which deactivates the electronic stability or traction control, removing the computer’s ability to keep you out of trouble!